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Quarterly reporting of fish and non-fish catches

Fisheries New Zealand supports transparent reporting. Every 3 months, we release information gathered from the daily self-reports from commercial fishers. These reports tell us about their catches – the species, the fishing methods they were using, and where they were fishing.

Commercial fishers also have to tell us about accidental catches of marine mammals (like seals and dolphins), seabirds, reptiles, protected fish, and corals, sponges, and bryozoans.

We use these quarterly reports to monitor trends throughout the year.

This data can be subject to errors

The data in these quarterly reports is largely unchanged from the information entered at sea by fishers. In some cases, Fisheries New Zealand has also had to make assumptions about the likeliest fishing methods. It has not been independently verified. That means it's possible that some species have been incorrectly identified. Or there may be some other reporting errors.

Consequently, this information should not be seen as an alternative to other reports such as the Fisheries New Zealand seabird risk assessment reports. Those are peer-reviewed and are underpinned by a robust analytical methodology.

The information in these quarterly reports also differs from the data presented on the website, Protected species by-catch. Information on that website is based on Fisheries New Zealand's observer-collected data. That data is checked for errors and the species verified before it's published.

Occasionally birds collide with, or land on a vessel or its superstructure. Sometimes the birds are injured or disoriented and unable to fly away without help. This is called a deck strike. Fishers are required to report deck strikes as outlined in Part 3 of the Fisheries (E-logbook Users Instructions and Codes) Circular 2021. Deck strikes are not considered to be fishing-related captures, however they are included in the seabird data published here.

Protected species by-catch

Risk assessment of commercial fisheries to New Zealand seabirds [PDF, 3.5 MB]

Yearly summaries show the seasonal variations

While we publish these reports quarterly, the yearly summaries provide a better comparison. Captures can vary significantly from one quarter to the next based on:

  • natural factors (for example, some seabirds breed in New Zealand during the summer months from October to May but head overseas during the winter months)
  • seasonal shifts in fishing effort.
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Summary of catches for quarter 4, 2022-2023

This table is a summary of non-fish and protected fish species reported by commercial fishers for the fourth quarter of the 2022-2023 fishing year (1 July 2023 to 30 September 2023).

Species category  Catch alive (No.) Catch dead (No.)

Catch decomposing (No.)

 Catch weight (kg)
Birds 70 123 3  
Corals and bryozoans   564.46
Fish 5 2    
Marine Mammals 43 123 1  
Reptiles 1 1    

Fisheries New Zealand has prepared this report from information provided in fishers' returns. 

Download the complete detailed dataset [CSV, 202 KB]

Significant interaction events for quarter 4, 2022-2023

Significant interaction events that occurred in the previous quarter (quarter 4, 2022-2023) are reported here. 

Fishing method

Species code

Total captures

Total released

Numbers of events involved

Management responses

Surface longline

 

XNR – Northern royal albatross

1

0

6
  • Vessel operator reported the captures to Fisheries New Zealand. A fisheries observer was also onboard the vessel and confirmed the specific species caught. The confirmed species are those listed in this table.
  • A DOC protected species liaison officer contacted the vessel operator to discuss the incident.
  • The vessel operator was operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures. The DOC protected species liaison officer recommended improvements to mitigation (for example, line weighting positions) for future trips.
  • Fisheries New Zealand is currently undertaking a review of seabird mitigation measures for surface longline vessels. The review aims to further reduce the estimated risk of surface longline to seabirds, while also considering potential impacts on fishing operations.

XKM – Black-browed albatross (unidentified)

1
XWM – White-capped albatross 8
XPB – Buller's and pacific albatross 2
XWP - Westland petrel 1
Bottom Trawling HDO – Hectors Dolphin 1 0 1
  • Vessel operator reported capture to Fisheries New Zealand (FNZ), alerted the regional Department of Conservation (DOC) protected species liaison officer, and retained the dolphin for necropsy. A fisheries observer was not onboard when the capture event occurred.
  • The DOC protected species liaison officer has spoken to the vessel operator since initial contact was made to discuss the incident in further detail.
  • Fisheries Compliance attended the vessel upon its return to port and is investigating whether the vessel was operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures.
  • The capture occurred in the Timaru local population area. The last Hector’s dolphin capture reported in this region was in 2018.
  • The total number of captures in the Timaru local population area this fishing year equates to less than 25% of the fisheries-related mortality limit (FRML) for the Timaru local population. As per the escalating response approach outlined in the South Island Hector’s Dolphin Bycatch Reduction Plan, FNZ and industry representatives are discussing further voluntary mitigation measures with the fisher.

Significant interaction events in the current quarter

Significant interaction events that occur in the current quarter (quarter 1, 2023-2024) are reported here outside the normal quarterly reporting cycle.

Fishing method

Species code

Total captures

Total released

Numbers of events involved

Management responses

Set Netting

XYP – Yellow eyed penguin

1

0

1
  • Vessel operator reported capture to Fisheries New Zealand. Fisher brought the captured penguin to shore for necropsy. A camera is installed on board to monitor fishing events and protected species interactions.
  • DOC protected species liaison officer was notified and contacted the vessel operator to discuss the incident.
  • Fisheries Compliance plans to contact the vessel operator. The initial assessment of the situation indicates they were operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures.
  • Measures to reduce the likelihood of hoiho captures in fisheries are in place under the Hoiho Threat Management and Recovery Plan developed by Fisheries New Zealand in conjunction with DOC and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust.

Set Netting

HDO – Hector’s Dolphin

1

0

1
  • Vessel operator reported capture to Fisheries New Zealand and DOC. A camera is installed on board to monitor fishing events and protected species interactions.
  • DOC protected species liaison officer contacted the vessel operator to discuss and better understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.
  • Fisheries Compliance assessed the situation and confirmed vessel was operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures.
  • To date, the total number of captures in the Kaikoura area this fishing year equates to less than 25% of the local Fisheries-Related Mortality Limit (FRML). In keeping with the South Island Hector’s Dolphin Bycatch Reduction Plan, FNZ is implementing a vessel-based response to this capture.

Set Netting

XYP – Yellow eyed penguin

1

0

1
  • Vessel operator reported capture to Fisheries New Zealand. A camera is installed on board to monitor fishing events and protected species interactions.
  • DOC protected species liaison officer contacted the vessel operator to discuss the incident as soon as they were accessible.
  • Fisheries Compliance plans to contact the vessel operator. The initial assessment of the situation indicates they were operating in accordance with fisheries regulations designed to reduce the risk of protected species captures.
  • Measures to reduce the likelihood of hoiho captures in fisheries are in place under the Hoiho Threat Management and Recovery Plan developed by Fisheries New Zealand in conjunction with DOC and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust.

 

Catches by fisheries management area (FMA) for quarter 4 (2022-2023)

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Summary of catches for previous quarters

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How does Fisheries New Zealand use this data?

In fisheries where there is little or no observer coverage, the data that fishers report is our main source of information on interactions with these types of species. Fisheries managers use the data to look at where, when, and how captures occur, to work out if there is more that can be done to reduce captures. 

Fisheries New Zealand and the Department of Conservation respond to significant capture events in near-real time. Responses take a variety of forms, including:

  • protected species liaison officers contacting skippers to ensure the best mitigation is being used and crew understand how to reduce risk to protected species
  • deploying Fisheries New Zealand observers to get more information on the potential cause of interactions or help identify species in future captures
  • informing fisheries officers if there is evidence of potential non-compliance with regulations
  • considering additional regulation of mitigation measures and/or vessel-specific regulations to ensure appropriate mitigation is used
  • in some fisheries, implementing measures consistent with regulations (for example closing the Auckland Islands squid fishery if the fishing-related mortality limit for New Zealand sea lions is reached).

Glossary

  • Bryozoans are a type of aquatic invertebrates that live on the bottom of the ocean.
  • ‘COU – Corals’ is a group code used when individuals can only be identified as a coral. Black corals must be reported as Antipatharia, all other corals must be reported under the group code.
  • ‘COB – Black coral’ is a group code used for all members of the Antipatharia order.
  • ‘STI – Black coral’ is a group code used for all Stichopathes species.
  • ‘CSB – Corals, sponges and bryozoans’ is a group code used when fishers cannot distinguish between them.
  • Sponges and bryozoans are not protected. However, they are still indicative of benthic impacts.

Find out more

MPI's role in limiting the impacts of fishing on marine mammals, seabirds, and sharks 

Fisheries species codes

Fisheries New Zealand seabird risk assessment [PDF, 3.5 MB]

Maui and Hector’s dolphin Threat Management Plan

National Plan of Action-Seabirds [PDF, 9.4 MB]

National Plan of Action-Sharks [PDF, 709 KB]

Fisheries Inshore New Zealand (FINZ)

MPI business units